SHEBOYGAN, Wis. — Walking into Dan 'Bogie' Bogenschuetz is just like any family home. There are Christmas decorations up outside, and inside pictures of grandchildren line the hallways.
It's the home office that sets his home apart. On the floor is green carpet with the Green Bay Packers logo on it. Signed footballs are hung like crown molding. Singed jerseys, photographs from iconic games, and other memorabilia fill the walls.
Like any good Wisconsinite, Bogie bleeds green and gold and has been cheering on the Packers for as long as he can remember.
"I remember in the 70s when I went to Lambeau for a game and the Packers weren't all that good," Bogie recalled of a trip to Green Bay when he was in high school. "I remember it was a snowstorm. I remember they didn't clear off all the snow from the field like they do now. So, after the game, I remember we slid down on the Lambeau Field from the snow banks and we actually climbed the goalposts."
But it's not the stories from high school or the memorabilia he's collected that landed him a spot as a finalist for the Packers Fan Hall of Fame. It's the memories and experiences he's created for other Packers fans that set him apart.
For the last 36 years, Bogie has been organizing trips for Green Bay fans not only to the hallowed grounds of Lambeau Field but to stadiums across the country and the world.
"I take anywhere from 56 up to 320 people," Bogie said of the trips he organizes.
The home office filled with Packers gear is also filled with pictures of the friends he's made along the way. There are photos with friends at Lambeau, in Washington D.C., and even London.
He organizes about four trips a year. That's in addition to the three or four games he attends with family each year.
He said one of the most memorable trips was one of the first trips he organized to see the Packers play the Vikings in Minnesota. It's also a story of his dedication.
"I slept outside for three days and two nights at the ticket window to get 320 tickets. And I got them." Bogie recalled. "We all sit together in one big group, we stuck out like a sore thumb. I know in Minnesota they got very upset about it. And the owner and the coach asked how did that group of yellow get in Minnesota."
Bogie believes that led to a policy change in which you could only buy four tickets per game at a time. After buying four tickets, you were sent to the back of the line. But there was a loophole.
"If you were a season ticket holder, you could buy as many as you wanted. And that's the reason I became a season ticket holder," Bogie said with a laugh.
That's right, a Cheesehead became a Vikings season ticket holder.
Thousands of people have taken part in Bogie's Packers trips. Some have met future spouses along the way and some have come back years later with children of their own.
"This year on one of my trips it was actually the third generation going on the trip. So it was grandma, the mom, now the granddaughter," Bogie said.
It's those memories he's helped create that have now given him a shot to be inducted into the Fan Hall of Fame.
"I think because of the people I've touched, to let them touch the Packers, be part of it all," Bogie said.
He said he'd be "honored" if we ended up in the fan hall of fame. And of course, if he wins, he'll get something to commemorate the title.
"If I win this, there's a tattoo going right on this arm," he said patting his left bicep. "I've never had a tattoo, but I can guarantee you and you can hear it right now, I'm getting a Hall of Fame tattoo if I win this," Bogie said as he chuckled.
So, do you think Bogie deserves to be inducted into the Packers Fan Hall of Fame? You can click here to vote for him. You can vote once a day through January 31st.
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